Time-controlling mechanism.



H. H. .GERDES.

TIME CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, I916. 1 338,282 Patented Aug. 28, 1917 3SHEETS-SHEET I H. H. GERDES.

TIME CONTROLLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. I916.

Patented Aug. 28., 1917.

3SHEETSSIHEEI 2.

N Maw k v mwQ M 5 w v H. H. GERDES.

TIME CONTROLUNG MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE-I29, 1916;

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

mnml v Snow wot I attoznuta UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN HENRY GERDES, OF ALVARADO, TEXAS.

TIME-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN HENRY Gnnnns, acitizen of the United States, residing at Alvarado, in the county ofJohnson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Time- Coutrolling Mechanism; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to a time controlling mechanism designed moreparticularly for the automatic operation of electric switches, circuitclosers, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a time controlling mechanism ofthis character which may be used in connection with an ordinary alarmclock to intermittently operate the electric switch or other movablemember at predetermined intervals.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon devices of thisgeneral character by the provision of a simple, strong, durable andinexpensive construction, and a device which will be eflicient andreliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose designed.

lVith these and numerous other objects in view, the invention consistsof certain novel features of construction and the combination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, and inwhich similar reference characters designate like parts throughout theseveral views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device constructed in accordance withthis invention, the base member of the same being here shown in crosssection;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 ofFig. 2;

Fig. i is a transverse vertical section taken on the plane of the linell of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the one day dial, the central portion ofwhich is broken away to show the rear end operatively connected with thesame;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the eight day dial;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Serial No. 106,678.

Fixed to the end wall 2 is an electric knife switch 3 of the usualconstruction, and having a connecting element 4 in form of a pit maninterposed between the same and operating means which is now to bedescribed. It is to be understood, however, that the switch 3 may besubstituted by any form of intermittently operable movable member.

Secured to the horizontal table or member 1 in any suitable manner andat a point spaced from the end wall 2 is a casing, preferably composedof a pair of upright plates 5 spaced a suitable distance apart by meansof horizontal bars 6. Extending transversely between the side plates 5and journaled in suitable hearings or openings in the same is a mainshaft 7 on which is mounted in the usual manner a coil spring 7, and aratchet wheel. 8, the latter being engaged with a spring pressed pawl 9to prevent retrograde movement of said shaft. One end of the shaftextends beyond the outer side of the plates 5 and is provided with athumb-piece or handle to be used when it is desired to wind the spring7'. Fixed or keyed in the usual manner to the barrel 7 of the spring 7is a large gear wheel 10 and a smaller gear 11, the latter meshing witha gear 12 fixed to a shaft 13 which extends transversely between theplates 5 and being revolubly mounted in suitable bearings therein. Thegear 10 meshes with a pinion 14.- carried by a shaft 15, which issimilarly mounted between the side plates. This shaft 15 also carries acomparatively large gear 16 which meshes with a pinion 17 carried by ashaft 18 having fixed thereto a gear 19. The gear 19 in turn meshes witha pinion 20 mounted on a shaft 21, to which is also mounted a large gear22, the latter being in operative engagement with a pinion 23 car riedby a shaft 24. This mechanism comprises a spring motor and the preferredmeans for imparting an intermittent movement to the switch 3.

Fixed to one end of the shaft 13 is a rotary member 25, here shown asbeing circular in configuration, and being provided with suitable meansfor pivotal attachment to the other end of the pitman or connectingelement 4. This member 25 is provided on it periphery with a pair ofdiametrically opposite stops 26 to be hereinafter fully described. Bythis construction it may be seen that when the spring motor is allowedto operate the member 25 will revolve, thus giving the pitman 4 a to andfro motion,

and thereby opening and closing or imparting an intermittent movement tothe switch 3.

The shaft 24 is provided on one of its ends on the exterior side of oneof the plates 5 with a small solid friction wheel 27 which, inconjunction with a member or bar 28, having a spring 27, forms a brakingmeans for the motor, whereby the latter is stopped and started atpredetermined intervals. This member 28 is securely fixed to one of theplates 5 at one of its ends, and has its other end disposed adjacent theperiphery of the rotating member 25, whereby it may be engaged with oneof the stops 26.

The member 28 is provided with a resilient portion 28 intermediate ofits ends adjacent the friction wheel 27 as clearly shown by thedrawings. Vhen one of the stops 26 is engaged with the last referred toend of the member 28, the latter will be bent upwardly at its resilientportion 28. This causes the spring 27 to bear upon the friction wheel 27with sufiicient pressure to maintain the motor at the condition of rest.

The means for operating the braking means comprises a cam 29, which ismounted between suitable brackets 30 fixed to one of the plates 5, andbeing provided at its opposite ends with an arm 31 and a stop 31. Thefree end of the arm 31 is pivotally connected to a link 32', the otherend of the latter being in turn similarly connected to the free end of apivoted lever 33, having a pin 34; extending laterally from one of itssides and at the free end thereof. The stop 31 is spaced a very slightdistance below the lower side of the member 28 when the parts are intheir normal positions as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Bythis construction it may be seen that when the lever 33 is moved in thedirection. toward the cam 29, the latter will be brought into engagementwith the member 28, thereby moving said member 28 in a directionperpendicular to the plate 5 and out of engagement with the pin 26.Owing to the fact that the stop 31 is spaced a very slight the pin 3a,the lever 33 is released. the re siliency of the member 28 moving thesame, together with the cam 29 into their normal positions, and thus thestop 31 is moved out of engagement with the member 28, the latter, byvirtue of its spring portion 28, falling on the other side of the pin 26with which it was just engaged and moving the spring 27 out of contactwith the friction wheel 27. It is to be here noted that the inner sideof the free end of the member 28 and the outer sides of the pins 26 areoppositely beveled in order to cause said member 28 to fall on the otherside of the pin 26 with which it was just engaged when said member isallowed to spring back toward the plate 5 and have its free end disposedin the path of the next pin 26. As the member 25 revolves, the lastmentioned pin 26 is moved through 180 degrees and engages the member 28,thereby causing the latter to bend at its resilient portion and engagethe friction wheel 27 to gradually but effectively stop the motor. Themomentum of the solid wheel 27 and the other rapidly rotating members ofthe motor prevents the latter from being stopped until the member 28 ismoved to its normal position slightly above the stop 31. This, as willbe readily understood, assists the beveled sides of the pins 26 and thefree end of the member 28 in placing the latter on the proper side ofthe pins 26 when said member 28 is allowed to spring back toward theplate 5.

For actuating the cam 29 and the lever 33, the following means ispreferably to be employed. This means comprises a rotating dial 35arranged on the outer side of one of the plates 5. Extending through thecentral portion of the dial 35 is a comparatively short shaft 36, to theinner end of which is fixed a pinion 37 meshing with a gear wheel 38fixed to a pinion 39, the latter being revolubly mounted in anyconvenient manner to the adjacent plate 5. This pinion 39 in turn mesheswith a gear wheel 40 operatively connected in a convenient manner withthe dial 35, whereby said dial may be rotated when the shaft 36 isrotated, and at a speed in proportion to the speed of the shaftdepending upon the ratio of the gears. The outer or free end of theshaft 36 is provided with a suitable means for detachable connection toa rotating member here shown as the setting key 41 of an ordinary alarmclock C.

The last referred to means is preferably composed of an additional shaft42 arranged substantially in alinement with the shaft 36, and having itsinner end connected to the outer free end of the shaft 36 by means of auniversal joint as. The other end of the shaft 41-2 is provided with aspring clamp n, whereby said shaft 4-2 may be quickly and detachablyconnected to the setting key ll of the alarm clock.

T he dial 35 is provided with a plurality of projections in the form offingers 45. These fingers are pivotally connected at their inner ends toone side of the dial on a circle substantially concentric with thecentral axis thereof. By this construction it may be seen that a numberof fingers may be moved to their uppermost position, and. intoengagement with. stops 16 carried by said dial, whereupon they extendsubstantially radially from the periphery of the latter and arepositioned so as to engage the pin 3% carried by the lever 33 when thedial is rotated.

in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings, the dial 85 is graduated around itsouter edge with figures running from 1 to 12 to correspond with thegraduations on the dial of an ordinary clock. This is the one day dial,and is adapted to rotate twice during twenty four hours. The form ofdial shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings is an eight day dial, it beingprovided with two sets of figures running from 1 to 19. to represent thehours of both day and night. Obviously when this form of dial is usedthe ratio of the gears operatively connected with the same is changed soas to rotate the dial at the desired speed.

In operation of the device the shaft 12 is connected in the mannerdescribed to the clock so as to be actuated by the same. The fingers 45of the desired hours are moved into their extended positions, wherebywhen the dial is moved they will come into contact with the pin 34 andoperate the lever so as to actuate the cam 29, and thereby cause thebraking means for the motor to be released. This obviously allows themotor to impart the desired movement to the switch 3. The motor will bestopped when the other stop 26 is moved into engagement with the freeend of the member 28 as here inbefore described.

By this construction and arrangement of parts it may be seen that a veryefiicient device has been provided for intermittently operating amovable member at pro-determined intervals. The mechanism is designedmore particularly to be employed with the switch 3 for use in lighting;and extinguishing the lights in show windows and the like, but it is tobe understood numerous other uses and purposes may be alloted to thisconstruction.

The construction herein shown and described is preferably the one to beused, but

alder-stood that it may be changed ranergeneies of any particular spiritand in the ap E claim as my invention 1. in a derice of the classdescribed, the combimition with a movable n ember, a spring motor, arotating member operated by said motor and having a stop thereon, andmeans operatively connecting said movable member with said rotatingmembe'; of a friction wheel actuated by said motor, a braking nien'ibermovable in two directions disposed in the path of said step and normallyengaged by the latter to maintain it normally in engagement with saidfriction wheel, means for moving said braking member in one directionout of engagement with said step, thereby allowing it to move in a second direction out of engagement with said friction wheel, and aconstantly rotating dial provided with means for intermittentlyoperating the last named means.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a movablemember, a spring motor, a rotating member operated by said motor andhaving a stop thereon, and means operatively connecting said movablemember with said rotating member; of a friction wheel actuated by saidmotor, a resilient braking member fixed at one of its ends and movablein two direct-ions, the other end of said braking member being disposedin' the path of said stop and normally engaged by the same, whereby theintermediate portion of said braking member is normally held inengagement with said frietion wheel, means 1'01 moving said brakingmember in one direction out of engagement with said stop, therebyallowing it to spring in a second direction out of engagement with saidfriction wheel, and a constantly rotating (filial provided with meansfor intermittently operating the last named means.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a movablemember, a spring motor, a rotating member operated by said motor andhaving a stop thereon, and means operatively connecting said movablemember with said rotating member; of a friction wheel actuated by saidmotor, a resilient braking member fixed at one of its ends and movablein two directions, the other end of said braking member being disposedin the path of said step and nor in ally engaged by the same, wherebythe intermediate portion of said braking member is normally held inengagement with said friction wheel, a cam engaging the last mentionedend of said braking member for moving the same in one direction out ofengage ment with said stop, thereby allowing it to spring in a seconddirection out of engagement with said friction wheel, and a constantlyrotating dial provided with means "for intermittently operating the lastnamed means.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with a movablemember, a spring motor, and means operatively connccting said movablemember with said motor; of a friction wheel actuated by said motor,braking means normally in engage ment with said friction wheel formaintaining said motor normally at rest, and including a pivotallymounted lever, a constantly rotating dial, and a plurality of fingerspivotally mounted at one of their ends to one side of said dial on acircle concentric with the axis of the latter, said fingers beingadapted to extend radially and beyond the periphery of said dial forengagement with said lever to throw said braking member out ofengagement with said friction wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HERMAN HENRY GERDES. lVitnesses:

H. ROBERTS, V. F. Moons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

